Devil Pays Off (1941) - 5/10 - A disgraced naval officer is recruited by his former captain for an espionage assignment aboard a cruise ship. He heads to Havana and finds himself with two women, including the wife of the cruise line owner. There are spies and traitors and so on, but much of the plot is pretty nonsensical. There are things to enjoy here and there, but it isn't a very good film.
Unfinished Business (1986) - 8/10 - This is a pretty good film about three men who defied the orders for curfew or evacuation of Japanese Americans during WWII and how the internment camps still affect their lives 40 years later. Min Yasui's family was the subject of a similar film a couple of years later.
$1000 a Minute (1935) - 7/10 - Wally Jones wastes a lot of his salary and is always broke. He can't afford to finish paying off the engagement ring for his girlfriend, Dorothy. He gets involved in a bet between two millionaires and has to spend $720,000 in 12 hours. If he succeeds, he earns $10,000. If he fails, he gets nothing. Meanwhile, the police are after him because they think he was involved in a bank robbery. What follows is a decent comedy while he tries to spend the dough.
The Lady Objects (1938) - 6/10 - A former All-American halfback is finding it difficult to find advancement in his career as an architect. His wife, though, is a lawyer who suddenly finds stardom within her field and starts bringing home a lot of money. He gets upset about the disparity in income and takes to nightclub singing so that he can earn more. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either.
The Lost Patrol (1934) - 7/10 - A British patrol in the Mesopotamian desert during WWI is lost once their officer is killed. They end up at an oasis, but are surrounded by an unseen enemy who slowly starts killing them off. John Ford directed. It was a good film.
The Horse with the Flying Tail (1960) - 6/10 - Nautical was an international show jumper in the 1950s who started out as a cow pony in New Mexico. This film chronicles his life.
Chasing Ice (2012) - 8.5/10 - An excellent documentary about photographer James Balog who spent several years photographing glaciers using time lapse photography in order to document how climate change was affecting them.
Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Journey Into Self (1968) - 5.5/10 - A 16 hour group therapy session with 8 fairly well adjusted individuals and a psychologist is condensed to 45 minutes. It was interesting at times, but I didn't find myself all that invested in it.
Report from the Aleutians (1943) - 5.5/10 - After the Japanese captured Kiska Island in 1942, U.S. forces set up an airfield on another Aleutian Island in order to conduct bombing raids on Kiska before ultimately recapturing it (after being abandoned by Japanese forces). There is decent footage here, but the film itself isn't all that interesting.
War Department Report (1943) - 7/10 - A propaganda film directed to the workers supporting the war from the home front. It does a pretty good job making its case as to the course of the war and some of the logistical difficulties that they face.
The Circus (1928) - 8/10 - The tramp intrudes on the acts at a struggling circus and gets a lot of laughs so he is hired. It had plenty of laughs and was a fun movie. My favorite scene was the early chase sequence.
Report from the Aleutians (1943) - 5.5/10 - After the Japanese captured Kiska Island in 1942, U.S. forces set up an airfield on another Aleutian Island in order to conduct bombing raids on Kiska before ultimately recapturing it (after being abandoned by Japanese forces). There is decent footage here, but the film itself isn't all that interesting.
War Department Report (1943) - 7/10 - A propaganda film directed to the workers supporting the war from the home front. It does a pretty good job making its case as to the course of the war and some of the logistical difficulties that they face.
The Circus (1928) - 8/10 - The tramp intrudes on the acts at a struggling circus and gets a lot of laughs so he is hired. It had plenty of laughs and was a fun movie. My favorite scene was the early chase sequence.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Crack USA: County Under Siege (1989) - 6/10 - The crack epidemic in Palm Beach, Florida seemed to really be out of control back in the late 1980s based on this documentary. Lots of sad stories, many of them involving teens hooked on crack.
With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women’s Emergency Brigade (1978) - 8/10 - A group of women are interviewed about their role in the GM strike of 1936-1937 as the 40 the anniversary of that strike approaches. Their stories were pretty interesting and the archival footage from the strike was also pretty good. Those were the early days of the UAW as they fought for changes to improve working conditions and pay for their workers.
Daybreak in Udi (1949) - 5/10 - The 'wonders' of British colonialism are on display here as a government official helps the natives build a maternity home in Nigeria, despite some opposition. As a short film, it was okay, though it certainly wasn't a documentary, which was what the Academy gave it an Oscar for. There seem to have been a fair number of non documentaries (or fictionalized documentaries) in the documentary category over the years.
The War Game (1966) - 9/10 - This film shows the effect that a hypothetical nuclear war might have on the people of Great Britain. In the scenario, the U.S. is battling China in Vietnam and the use of nuclear weapons is authorized leading to an escalation and eventual Soviet attack. Preparations for war are shown, including evacuation of part of the population to lower priority target areas. The attack and its aftermath are also shown in fairly realistic detail. They did a pretty good job on this film.
With Babies and Banners: Story of the Women’s Emergency Brigade (1978) - 8/10 - A group of women are interviewed about their role in the GM strike of 1936-1937 as the 40 the anniversary of that strike approaches. Their stories were pretty interesting and the archival footage from the strike was also pretty good. Those were the early days of the UAW as they fought for changes to improve working conditions and pay for their workers.
Daybreak in Udi (1949) - 5/10 - The 'wonders' of British colonialism are on display here as a government official helps the natives build a maternity home in Nigeria, despite some opposition. As a short film, it was okay, though it certainly wasn't a documentary, which was what the Academy gave it an Oscar for. There seem to have been a fair number of non documentaries (or fictionalized documentaries) in the documentary category over the years.
The War Game (1966) - 9/10 - This film shows the effect that a hypothetical nuclear war might have on the people of Great Britain. In the scenario, the U.S. is battling China in Vietnam and the use of nuclear weapons is authorized leading to an escalation and eventual Soviet attack. Preparations for war are shown, including evacuation of part of the population to lower priority target areas. The attack and its aftermath are also shown in fairly realistic detail. They did a pretty good job on this film.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Ice Road (Jonathan Hensleigh, 2021) 5/10
I found the ice road fascinating. Not this predictable thriller but what the title of the film represents - the North American roads that form over frozen bodies of water in the continent's coldest regions, and are less than three feet thick. Truckers maneuver these “ice roads” in vehicles that weigh up to 65,000 pounds or more. The action sequences in this Liam Neeson vehicle - yes still in slumming mode for his paycheck - are all built around a hair raising truck ride across these frozen roads which are liable to crack anytime under the huge weight of the careening trucks. When a mine collapses in Manitoba, trapping 26 men, it becomes a race against time to get equipment across to them to save their lives before they die of asphyxiation. An out-of-work trucker (Liam Neeson) and his PTSD suffering brother are hired by another trucker (Laurence Fishburne) to carry wellheads to the mine. Also accompanying them is a third trucker, a female Native American. A representative of the mine company is also along for the ride and who turns out to be a vicious killer hell bent on sabotaging the mission. Between the cracking ice and a drowning there are attempts on their lives, a second near drowning, one truck falling through the ice, an avalanche and a precarious bridge crossing. The film mixes elements from the classic french film "Le salaire de la peur" with outlandish stunts and unbelievable heroics. Neeson for the last many years has been carrying the flag for every type of blue collar worker via the characters he is stuck playing on screen. He goes through the motions yet again with a permanent scowl on his face with his sad eyes seemingly imploring any producer out there to get him out of this career rut. This action packed film is strictly by the numbers although the scenes shot on location are incredibly beautiful with miles and miles of bleak icy roads with the camera sometimes eerily looking up at the underside of the racing trucks through the water under the ice. And what has happened to the career of Laurence Fishburne? He is billed above the title here along with Neeson but gets shafted by the script as he barely has any quality screen time.
Wrath of Man (Guy Ritchie, 2021) 7/10
Slick revenge thriller is old hat as far as the plot is concerned but it's a return to form for Ritchie as he juggles the film's convoluted framing using flashbacks and flash-forwards. And he jolts things up by teaming with an old mate after a long time. A mysterious man (Jason Statham) starts working for an armed vehicle company which had the misfortune of losing two staff during an earlier robbery. He is a gruff man of few words but soon turns hero when he handles with superb aplomb a second robbery attempt by single handedly shooting dead the six robbers. A flashback explains his presence at the company - an innocent bystander shot dead during the previous robbery was his son. Hence the revenge angle of the plot as Stathman turns into a killing machine in his quest to find the man who shot his son in cold blood and also shot him at the same time leaving him for dead. When the gang strikes again using an insider in the company all hell breaks loose into a horrific bloodbath with Statham bang in the center. The action is amped up by Christopher Benstead’s ominous score and the film's outstanding sound design. Statham plays his badass character completely deadpan as always and Richie dispenses with humour which he used to great effect in his last film "The Gentlemen". Humour is not needed here (although there are a few scattered laughs) as Ritchie concentrates instead on bloody carnage which would make Tarantino squeal with delight. Nothing new really but still an effective thriller as you root for the Stath to get his revenge.
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) 10/10
Iconic film that blazed a bloody trail for the much-loved slasher cycle of films. All it took was a knife, a scream, and some chocolate sauce that doubled for blood to create one of the most blood-curdling murder sequences in film history. It was conceived by Alfred Hitchcock (based on the book by Robert Bloch) as a departure from his previous films, as it was shot on a very low budget, in black and white and minus his usual A-list cast. The studio was not in favour of the film so Hitchcock, in order to keep costs down, took most of his crew from his television series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Both Tony Perkins and Janet Leigh were signed on at a fraction of their usual salaries. The plot centers on an encounter between an on-the-run platinum blonde embezzler, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), and a shy motel proprietor Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and its aftermath, in which a private investigator (Martin Balsam), Marion's lover (John Gavin) and her sister (Vera Miles) all investigate the cause of her disappearance. The film is now considered one of Hitchcock's best films and is arguably his most famous work. It has been praised as a major work of cinematic art by critics and scholars due to its slick direction, tense atmosphere, impressive camerawork, memorable music score, and iconic performances. Often ranked among the greatest films of all time, it set a new level of acceptability for violence, deviant behaviour, and sexuality in American films. It was also the first film ever to show a toilet being flushed thus allowing other filmmakers to freely delve into the taboo field of human scatolgy which soon came right out into the open as films took on bolder strokes during the following decades.
Carry On Henry (Gerald Thomas, 1970) 6/10
Cockney King Henry VIII (Sidney James) has his wife beheaded and heads straight for the marriage bed again, arranged for him by the bumbling Cardinal Wolsey (Terry Scott), to lusty, busty Marie of Normandy (Joan Sims). The randy King refuses to consummate his marriage because, to his horror, she has garlic breath. To ease matters Sir Roger de Lodgerley (Charles Hawtrey), the King's official taster, sample's the very willing Queen's ample wares and gets her pregnant. The King falls for the charms of Bettina (Barbara Windsor) and urges the Cardinal to get rid of garlic breath while wily Thomas Cromwell (Kenneth Williams) plots with Lord Hampton of Wick (Kenneth Connor) to have the King kidnapped and killed. When the plot fails the King discovers his Queen's infidelity and has Cromwell extract a confession under torture from Sir Roger. Typical shenanigans by the memorable "Carry On" regulars as they send up history. Hawtrey (while still in his camp persona) runs off with the film playing against type a ladies man. Amusing screenplay is laced with double entendres which the cast spout with great glee.
Mare of Easttown (Craig Zobel, 2021) 7/10
Extremely dour 7-part miniseries with every character in a spiral of angst dealing with bad relationships, divorce, alcoholism, drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, suicide, suspected incest, kidnappings and murder. A small-town cop (Kate Winslet), with her personal life unravelling, investigates a series of missing persons and a murder. She is dealing with her son's suicide, her recent divorce, her ex-husband's upcoming marriage, an opinionated and garrulous mother (a superb Jean Smart), her neglected lesbian daughter, her best friend (Julianne Nicholson) and a child custody tug of war for her grandson with her cocaine addicted daughter-in-law. Through this haze of personal issues she hooks up with a writer (Guy Pearce), has a young out of town investigator (Evan Peters) forced onto her as a partner and relentlessly pursues clues looking for two missing girls and trying to find out who shot a young woman in the face and found dumped naked in a creek. Winslet totally immerses herself in the role looking disheveled and depressed and she gets excellent support from a huge ensemble cast. There is also a twist ending which I managed to guess long before this overlong story's conclusion.
A Quiet Place II (John Krasinski, 2021) 7/10
Sequel to the surprise hit film has more of the same as survivors of the family from the first film try to navigate in a post apocalyptic world inhabited by blind monsters with an acute sense of hearing. The screenplay starts with a flashback which reveals how the Abbot family (and the rest of humanity) got into this mess. The patriarch (John Krasinski), who sacrificed himself at the end of the first film, is briefly seen as he and his family witness a flaming object hurtling towards earth from the sky followed by the monsters going on a killing rampage. With her husband dead its left to his tough widow (Emily Blunt) to guide and try and save her newborn son, her deaf daughter and older son. Like the first film this too relies on nerve-wracking set pieces which pits the humans against the monsters. The plot introduces a family friend (Cillian Murphy) who, along with the deaf girl, manages to find an island of survivors where the monsters have not managed to invade. The film ends with a cliffhanger as the widow and her two sons are separated from the daughter and their family friend as both parties simultaneously battle the monsters. The film's outstanding sound design once again proves to be the main ingredient helping to create suspense and the open ended conclusion clearly signals yet another sequel.
I found the ice road fascinating. Not this predictable thriller but what the title of the film represents - the North American roads that form over frozen bodies of water in the continent's coldest regions, and are less than three feet thick. Truckers maneuver these “ice roads” in vehicles that weigh up to 65,000 pounds or more. The action sequences in this Liam Neeson vehicle - yes still in slumming mode for his paycheck - are all built around a hair raising truck ride across these frozen roads which are liable to crack anytime under the huge weight of the careening trucks. When a mine collapses in Manitoba, trapping 26 men, it becomes a race against time to get equipment across to them to save their lives before they die of asphyxiation. An out-of-work trucker (Liam Neeson) and his PTSD suffering brother are hired by another trucker (Laurence Fishburne) to carry wellheads to the mine. Also accompanying them is a third trucker, a female Native American. A representative of the mine company is also along for the ride and who turns out to be a vicious killer hell bent on sabotaging the mission. Between the cracking ice and a drowning there are attempts on their lives, a second near drowning, one truck falling through the ice, an avalanche and a precarious bridge crossing. The film mixes elements from the classic french film "Le salaire de la peur" with outlandish stunts and unbelievable heroics. Neeson for the last many years has been carrying the flag for every type of blue collar worker via the characters he is stuck playing on screen. He goes through the motions yet again with a permanent scowl on his face with his sad eyes seemingly imploring any producer out there to get him out of this career rut. This action packed film is strictly by the numbers although the scenes shot on location are incredibly beautiful with miles and miles of bleak icy roads with the camera sometimes eerily looking up at the underside of the racing trucks through the water under the ice. And what has happened to the career of Laurence Fishburne? He is billed above the title here along with Neeson but gets shafted by the script as he barely has any quality screen time.
Wrath of Man (Guy Ritchie, 2021) 7/10
Slick revenge thriller is old hat as far as the plot is concerned but it's a return to form for Ritchie as he juggles the film's convoluted framing using flashbacks and flash-forwards. And he jolts things up by teaming with an old mate after a long time. A mysterious man (Jason Statham) starts working for an armed vehicle company which had the misfortune of losing two staff during an earlier robbery. He is a gruff man of few words but soon turns hero when he handles with superb aplomb a second robbery attempt by single handedly shooting dead the six robbers. A flashback explains his presence at the company - an innocent bystander shot dead during the previous robbery was his son. Hence the revenge angle of the plot as Stathman turns into a killing machine in his quest to find the man who shot his son in cold blood and also shot him at the same time leaving him for dead. When the gang strikes again using an insider in the company all hell breaks loose into a horrific bloodbath with Statham bang in the center. The action is amped up by Christopher Benstead’s ominous score and the film's outstanding sound design. Statham plays his badass character completely deadpan as always and Richie dispenses with humour which he used to great effect in his last film "The Gentlemen". Humour is not needed here (although there are a few scattered laughs) as Ritchie concentrates instead on bloody carnage which would make Tarantino squeal with delight. Nothing new really but still an effective thriller as you root for the Stath to get his revenge.
Psycho (Alfred Hitchcock, 1960) 10/10
Iconic film that blazed a bloody trail for the much-loved slasher cycle of films. All it took was a knife, a scream, and some chocolate sauce that doubled for blood to create one of the most blood-curdling murder sequences in film history. It was conceived by Alfred Hitchcock (based on the book by Robert Bloch) as a departure from his previous films, as it was shot on a very low budget, in black and white and minus his usual A-list cast. The studio was not in favour of the film so Hitchcock, in order to keep costs down, took most of his crew from his television series "Alfred Hitchcock Presents". Both Tony Perkins and Janet Leigh were signed on at a fraction of their usual salaries. The plot centers on an encounter between an on-the-run platinum blonde embezzler, Marion Crane (Janet Leigh), and a shy motel proprietor Norman Bates (Anthony Perkins) and its aftermath, in which a private investigator (Martin Balsam), Marion's lover (John Gavin) and her sister (Vera Miles) all investigate the cause of her disappearance. The film is now considered one of Hitchcock's best films and is arguably his most famous work. It has been praised as a major work of cinematic art by critics and scholars due to its slick direction, tense atmosphere, impressive camerawork, memorable music score, and iconic performances. Often ranked among the greatest films of all time, it set a new level of acceptability for violence, deviant behaviour, and sexuality in American films. It was also the first film ever to show a toilet being flushed thus allowing other filmmakers to freely delve into the taboo field of human scatolgy which soon came right out into the open as films took on bolder strokes during the following decades.
Carry On Henry (Gerald Thomas, 1970) 6/10
Cockney King Henry VIII (Sidney James) has his wife beheaded and heads straight for the marriage bed again, arranged for him by the bumbling Cardinal Wolsey (Terry Scott), to lusty, busty Marie of Normandy (Joan Sims). The randy King refuses to consummate his marriage because, to his horror, she has garlic breath. To ease matters Sir Roger de Lodgerley (Charles Hawtrey), the King's official taster, sample's the very willing Queen's ample wares and gets her pregnant. The King falls for the charms of Bettina (Barbara Windsor) and urges the Cardinal to get rid of garlic breath while wily Thomas Cromwell (Kenneth Williams) plots with Lord Hampton of Wick (Kenneth Connor) to have the King kidnapped and killed. When the plot fails the King discovers his Queen's infidelity and has Cromwell extract a confession under torture from Sir Roger. Typical shenanigans by the memorable "Carry On" regulars as they send up history. Hawtrey (while still in his camp persona) runs off with the film playing against type a ladies man. Amusing screenplay is laced with double entendres which the cast spout with great glee.
Mare of Easttown (Craig Zobel, 2021) 7/10
Extremely dour 7-part miniseries with every character in a spiral of angst dealing with bad relationships, divorce, alcoholism, drug addiction, teenage pregnancy, suicide, suspected incest, kidnappings and murder. A small-town cop (Kate Winslet), with her personal life unravelling, investigates a series of missing persons and a murder. She is dealing with her son's suicide, her recent divorce, her ex-husband's upcoming marriage, an opinionated and garrulous mother (a superb Jean Smart), her neglected lesbian daughter, her best friend (Julianne Nicholson) and a child custody tug of war for her grandson with her cocaine addicted daughter-in-law. Through this haze of personal issues she hooks up with a writer (Guy Pearce), has a young out of town investigator (Evan Peters) forced onto her as a partner and relentlessly pursues clues looking for two missing girls and trying to find out who shot a young woman in the face and found dumped naked in a creek. Winslet totally immerses herself in the role looking disheveled and depressed and she gets excellent support from a huge ensemble cast. There is also a twist ending which I managed to guess long before this overlong story's conclusion.
A Quiet Place II (John Krasinski, 2021) 7/10
Sequel to the surprise hit film has more of the same as survivors of the family from the first film try to navigate in a post apocalyptic world inhabited by blind monsters with an acute sense of hearing. The screenplay starts with a flashback which reveals how the Abbot family (and the rest of humanity) got into this mess. The patriarch (John Krasinski), who sacrificed himself at the end of the first film, is briefly seen as he and his family witness a flaming object hurtling towards earth from the sky followed by the monsters going on a killing rampage. With her husband dead its left to his tough widow (Emily Blunt) to guide and try and save her newborn son, her deaf daughter and older son. Like the first film this too relies on nerve-wracking set pieces which pits the humans against the monsters. The plot introduces a family friend (Cillian Murphy) who, along with the deaf girl, manages to find an island of survivors where the monsters have not managed to invade. The film ends with a cliffhanger as the widow and her two sons are separated from the daughter and their family friend as both parties simultaneously battle the monsters. The film's outstanding sound design once again proves to be the main ingredient helping to create suspense and the open ended conclusion clearly signals yet another sequel.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Journey Into Medicine (1947) - 7/10 - This documentary follows a medical student named Mike who is studying at Columbia Medical School. He moves into pediatrics at Cornell and later into public health in Baltimore. He works to prevent kids from dying due to diphtheria. It was a decent film.
The Stratford Adventure (1954) - 7/10 - In 1952, a journalist in Stratford, Ontario came up with the idea of a Shakespearean Festival. He got others involved, gained the support of the city council, recruited a famous British director and star (Alec Guinness), and the idea became reality. The inaugural season of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival took place during the summer of 1953 and its success was by no means certain. Ticket sales were good, though, and the festival was a success. I've never been there, but I know many people who have traveled there from the Detroit area to enjoy the plays, including a few fellow teachers who chaperoned field trips with our students who had a great time.
Robert Frost: A Lover’s Quarrel with the World (1963) - 8/10 - 88 year old Robert Frost was filmed giving a speech to students at Sarah Lawrence College and was also filmed talking with a small group of students at Amherst College. I'm not a big fan of poetry, though I've heard some of Frost's poems over the years, of course. It turns out that he is a pretty interesting and entertaining public speaker. Interspersed with the above are scenes with Frost at his farm in New Hampshire.
The Stratford Adventure (1954) - 7/10 - In 1952, a journalist in Stratford, Ontario came up with the idea of a Shakespearean Festival. He got others involved, gained the support of the city council, recruited a famous British director and star (Alec Guinness), and the idea became reality. The inaugural season of the Stratford Shakespearean Festival took place during the summer of 1953 and its success was by no means certain. Ticket sales were good, though, and the festival was a success. I've never been there, but I know many people who have traveled there from the Detroit area to enjoy the plays, including a few fellow teachers who chaperoned field trips with our students who had a great time.
Robert Frost: A Lover’s Quarrel with the World (1963) - 8/10 - 88 year old Robert Frost was filmed giving a speech to students at Sarah Lawrence College and was also filmed talking with a small group of students at Amherst College. I'm not a big fan of poetry, though I've heard some of Frost's poems over the years, of course. It turns out that he is a pretty interesting and entertaining public speaker. Interspersed with the above are scenes with Frost at his farm in New Hampshire.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Witness to Apartheid (1986) - 7.5/10 - A documentary filmed in secret in South Africa about the repression and murders committed against black residents by police and soldiers. Witnesses are interviewed and some of the injuries are shown. It was fairly effective.
In Our Water (1982) - 7.5/10 - Frank Kaler of South Brunswick, New Jersey fought a a 5 year battle against contaminated well water due to hazardous waste in a nearby landfill. The state and local authorities proved to be no help, but he persisted in his efforts, including taking a trip to Washington, D.C. to testify before Congress. Some of the government officials interviewed on film or captured on film at public meetings seem fairly unconcerned about health effects incurred by residents.
Joanna (2013) - 7.5/10 - Joanna Salyga was a mother in her mid-30s and dying of cancer. This film follows her everyday life, focusing on time spent with her young son. She's fighting the disease, but eventually gets the terminal diagnosis. The film does a good job capturing the relationships and emotion without being intrusive.
Killing in the Name (2010) - 7.5/10 - Ashraf Al-Khaled got married in Amman, Jordan in 2005. The celebration after was interrupted by a suicide bomber who ended up killing more than 25 members of his wedding party, including three of the parents of the bride and groom. Since then, Ashraf has traveled to a number of countries speaking to students, victims, and even some of the perpetrators of the violence to try and bring an end to the terrorism that some radical Muslim groups engage in. It was an interesting film.
Chaos Walking (2021) - 5.5/10 - I read the first book in the series back in 2017 and wasn't really a huge fan of it so I didn't read the rest. I didn't have high hopes for this film, but thought that I'd give it a try. It isn't great, but it was better than I expected. Tom Holland stars as the only boy in a town full of men on a colony world in 2257. The women were all killed by aliens when he was a baby or at least that is what he has always been told. Daisy Ridley is the only survivor of a scout ship sent in advance of the second wave of colonization. The two of them have to evade the men of the town.
G.I. Honeymoon (1945) - 4/10 - An army lieutenant gets recalled just as his wedding ceremony is about to start. They rush through with it and his bride decides to follow him so that they can have some time together now that they are married. However, things keep popping up to prevent their together time. This is a comedy that unfortunately isn't very funny.
In Our Water (1982) - 7.5/10 - Frank Kaler of South Brunswick, New Jersey fought a a 5 year battle against contaminated well water due to hazardous waste in a nearby landfill. The state and local authorities proved to be no help, but he persisted in his efforts, including taking a trip to Washington, D.C. to testify before Congress. Some of the government officials interviewed on film or captured on film at public meetings seem fairly unconcerned about health effects incurred by residents.
Joanna (2013) - 7.5/10 - Joanna Salyga was a mother in her mid-30s and dying of cancer. This film follows her everyday life, focusing on time spent with her young son. She's fighting the disease, but eventually gets the terminal diagnosis. The film does a good job capturing the relationships and emotion without being intrusive.
Killing in the Name (2010) - 7.5/10 - Ashraf Al-Khaled got married in Amman, Jordan in 2005. The celebration after was interrupted by a suicide bomber who ended up killing more than 25 members of his wedding party, including three of the parents of the bride and groom. Since then, Ashraf has traveled to a number of countries speaking to students, victims, and even some of the perpetrators of the violence to try and bring an end to the terrorism that some radical Muslim groups engage in. It was an interesting film.
Chaos Walking (2021) - 5.5/10 - I read the first book in the series back in 2017 and wasn't really a huge fan of it so I didn't read the rest. I didn't have high hopes for this film, but thought that I'd give it a try. It isn't great, but it was better than I expected. Tom Holland stars as the only boy in a town full of men on a colony world in 2257. The women were all killed by aliens when he was a baby or at least that is what he has always been told. Daisy Ridley is the only survivor of a scout ship sent in advance of the second wave of colonization. The two of them have to evade the men of the town.
G.I. Honeymoon (1945) - 4/10 - An army lieutenant gets recalled just as his wedding ceremony is about to start. They rush through with it and his bride decides to follow him so that they can have some time together now that they are married. However, things keep popping up to prevent their together time. This is a comedy that unfortunately isn't very funny.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
It rained all day today so I stayed in and watched movies for most of the day.
Bill and Coo (1948) - 7/10 - The town of Chirpendale is filled with a variety of small birds and they go about their daily lives like many other small towns in the U.S. However, a crow threatens the town and is named 'The Black Menace' by residents. Bill runs a taxi service and is a volunteer firebird. Coo is his girlfriend. The movie was filmed on a miniature set with trained birds plus a few other small animals. The gimmick starts to wear a bit thin after the halfway point, but it is still an enjoyable movie overall.
Eyes on the Prize: Bridge to Freedom 1965 (1987) - 7.5/10 - Selma in 1965 became the focus of the Civil Rights Movement in the South. A lot of this has been covered in other documentaries, but it was a good film.
For Better or for Worse (1993) - 7/10 - Five couples who have each been married for ver 50 years are interviewed about a number of aspects in their respective relationships. It was an interesting documentary.
The Olympics in Mexico (1969) - 7/10 - This movie is largely a highlight reel for the 1968 Olympic Games with the winning performances for many of the events shown. There is also some footage from the opening and closing ceremonies plus a bit about life in the Olympic Village and cultural performances brought in for the games. It was a decent window into the games, but was both too long (at two hours and 40 minutes) and too short (lots of stuff had to be left out since there were so many events). I think it did a decent job overall.
Who are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? (1977) - 8/10 - Dorothy Atwood had five children and adopted two others from Korea before her husband died. She adopted two more children from Vietnam before marrying Bob DeBolt who already had one daughter of his own. Together, they adopted 10 more children, many of whom had physical handicaps of one sort or another. The blended family was the subject of the documentary and they seem to get along great and are pretty happy. I enjoyed the film a lot.
Stepping Out: The DeBolts Grow Up (1980) - 7/10 - This takes place a few years later after the DeBolts have adopted their 20th child, a boy from Mexico with one leg partially paralyzed due to polio. The film is shorter than the original documentary and doesn't really stand on its own very well. It does work okay as a supplement to the previous film and it is nice to get caught up a bit with the kids. Without the previous film, though, it would definitely rate lower.
The Yanks are Coming (1963) - 6.5/10 - A documentary about WWI and the U.S. entry into the war, though it features significant points from the beginning of the was through the end. The narration can be a bit dull at times, but the footage is pretty good and there are a few interesting points.
Waldo Salt: A Screenwriter’s Journey (1990) - 7/10 - Waldo Salt started as a screenwriter in Hollywood in the 1930s, but was blacklisted for 11 years thanks to his membership in the Communist Party and his refusal to name names before the HUAC. He did manage to get some work under a pseudonym, but got back under his own name with Taras Bulba. He went on to receive Oscar nominations for Midnight Cowboy, Serpico, and Coming Home, winning for two of those. He didn't win for Serpico, which was my favorite from all of his films. This was a good look at his screenwriting career.
Bill and Coo (1948) - 7/10 - The town of Chirpendale is filled with a variety of small birds and they go about their daily lives like many other small towns in the U.S. However, a crow threatens the town and is named 'The Black Menace' by residents. Bill runs a taxi service and is a volunteer firebird. Coo is his girlfriend. The movie was filmed on a miniature set with trained birds plus a few other small animals. The gimmick starts to wear a bit thin after the halfway point, but it is still an enjoyable movie overall.
Eyes on the Prize: Bridge to Freedom 1965 (1987) - 7.5/10 - Selma in 1965 became the focus of the Civil Rights Movement in the South. A lot of this has been covered in other documentaries, but it was a good film.
For Better or for Worse (1993) - 7/10 - Five couples who have each been married for ver 50 years are interviewed about a number of aspects in their respective relationships. It was an interesting documentary.
The Olympics in Mexico (1969) - 7/10 - This movie is largely a highlight reel for the 1968 Olympic Games with the winning performances for many of the events shown. There is also some footage from the opening and closing ceremonies plus a bit about life in the Olympic Village and cultural performances brought in for the games. It was a decent window into the games, but was both too long (at two hours and 40 minutes) and too short (lots of stuff had to be left out since there were so many events). I think it did a decent job overall.
Who are the DeBolts? And Where Did They Get Nineteen Kids? (1977) - 8/10 - Dorothy Atwood had five children and adopted two others from Korea before her husband died. She adopted two more children from Vietnam before marrying Bob DeBolt who already had one daughter of his own. Together, they adopted 10 more children, many of whom had physical handicaps of one sort or another. The blended family was the subject of the documentary and they seem to get along great and are pretty happy. I enjoyed the film a lot.
Stepping Out: The DeBolts Grow Up (1980) - 7/10 - This takes place a few years later after the DeBolts have adopted their 20th child, a boy from Mexico with one leg partially paralyzed due to polio. The film is shorter than the original documentary and doesn't really stand on its own very well. It does work okay as a supplement to the previous film and it is nice to get caught up a bit with the kids. Without the previous film, though, it would definitely rate lower.
The Yanks are Coming (1963) - 6.5/10 - A documentary about WWI and the U.S. entry into the war, though it features significant points from the beginning of the was through the end. The narration can be a bit dull at times, but the footage is pretty good and there are a few interesting points.
Waldo Salt: A Screenwriter’s Journey (1990) - 7/10 - Waldo Salt started as a screenwriter in Hollywood in the 1930s, but was blacklisted for 11 years thanks to his membership in the Communist Party and his refusal to name names before the HUAC. He did manage to get some work under a pseudonym, but got back under his own name with Taras Bulba. He went on to receive Oscar nominations for Midnight Cowboy, Serpico, and Coming Home, winning for two of those. He didn't win for Serpico, which was my favorite from all of his films. This was a good look at his screenwriting career.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
She Married a Cop (1939) - 5.5/10 - Executives at a cartoon studio are looking for somebody to provide the singing voice for their new character, Paddy the Pig. They find their man in the form of an Irish cop named Jimmy (Phil Regan) who happens to have a nice voice. Linda (Jean Parker) is one of the people in charge of the project and she gets Jimmy to perform, but without telling him what his voice will actually be used for. This leads to a number of complications. It isn't a great film, but it is an entertaining enough B-movie.
Storm Over Bengal (1938) - 4/10 - This low budget picture crams a lot into its short runtime. There are the daily lives of the Bengal Lancers, plenty of battles between the British and the rebels in India, a spy mission, and a bit of romance. It isn't really that interesting a movie for all that and I don't think that the acting was all that great either.
Storm Over Bengal (1938) - 4/10 - This low budget picture crams a lot into its short runtime. There are the daily lives of the Bengal Lancers, plenty of battles between the British and the rebels in India, a spy mission, and a bit of romance. It isn't really that interesting a movie for all that and I don't think that the acting was all that great either.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Brooklyn Bridge (1981) - 7.5/10 - Ken Burns directed this film about the Brooklyn Bridge. The first part details the building of the bridge, which was interesting, but most of which I already knew. The second part focuses more on the impact the bridge has had on art and people. I liked the first part a bit more than the second.
Flying with Music (1942) - 3/10 - A very minor Hal Roach musical comedy that managed to snag a couple of Oscar nominations for its music. The story involves a singer in Latin America who flees from a man trying to serve him something from his ex-wife. He escapes by becoming a tour guide for five young American women with their own (gigantic) private plane. Unfortunately, the story isn't all that interesting and the music is rather pedestrian.
The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter (1993) - 7.5/10 - Peter Jepson-Young was a Canadian doctor who came down with AIDS in the 1980s. During the last two years of his life, he taped a weekly segment CBC News about his life and living with the disease. It turned out to be a popular segment and this film was cut together from his 100+ broadcasts plus his funeral. They did a good job putting it together.
Flying with Music (1942) - 3/10 - A very minor Hal Roach musical comedy that managed to snag a couple of Oscar nominations for its music. The story involves a singer in Latin America who flees from a man trying to serve him something from his ex-wife. He escapes by becoming a tour guide for five young American women with their own (gigantic) private plane. Unfortunately, the story isn't all that interesting and the music is rather pedestrian.
The Broadcast Tapes of Dr. Peter (1993) - 7.5/10 - Peter Jepson-Young was a Canadian doctor who came down with AIDS in the 1980s. During the last two years of his life, he taped a weekly segment CBC News about his life and living with the disease. It turned out to be a popular segment and this film was cut together from his 100+ broadcasts plus his funeral. They did a good job putting it together.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Changing Our Minds: The Story of Dr. Evelyn Hooker (1992) - 7/10 - A decent documentary about the psychologist whose work in the 1950s in regard to homosexuality led to homosexuality being removed from a list of mental disorders by the American Psychiatric Association. Her studies helped advocates for gay rights to push their case.
Target for Tonight (1941) - 6/10 - The planning and execution of a bombing raid on a priority target in Germany is shown here along with the return of one of the bombers and the after action report.
The Statue of Liberty (1985) - 8.5/10 - Ken Burns directed this documentary while the Statue of Liberty was undergoing restoration prior to her centennial celebration. There were interviews, archival photographs and footage, and current footage as well. I thought it was very interesting.
Other shorter documentaries watched:
Baptism of Fire (1943) - 7/10 - An army training film about a soldier's first combat experience.
The Last Bomb (1945) - 8/10 - This film came out just after WWII ended and shows bombers and their escorts attacking Japan along with preparations for the attack. They appeared to use a lot of real combat footage.
Terminus (1961) - 7.5/10 - A day in the life of Waterloo Station in London.
A Few Notes on Our Food Problem (1968) - 5/10 - The problems with feeding the increasing population of the world are discussed and shown. There were some interesting parts, but overall a bit dull.
Fires of Kuwait (1992) - 7.5/10 - When Iraq's forces retreated from Kuwait during Desert Storm, they set over 700 oil wells on fire and damaged a lot of infrastructure. Those fires were doing a lot of environmental damage and were hard to put out.
Target for Tonight (1941) - 6/10 - The planning and execution of a bombing raid on a priority target in Germany is shown here along with the return of one of the bombers and the after action report.
The Statue of Liberty (1985) - 8.5/10 - Ken Burns directed this documentary while the Statue of Liberty was undergoing restoration prior to her centennial celebration. There were interviews, archival photographs and footage, and current footage as well. I thought it was very interesting.
Other shorter documentaries watched:
Baptism of Fire (1943) - 7/10 - An army training film about a soldier's first combat experience.
The Last Bomb (1945) - 8/10 - This film came out just after WWII ended and shows bombers and their escorts attacking Japan along with preparations for the attack. They appeared to use a lot of real combat footage.
Terminus (1961) - 7.5/10 - A day in the life of Waterloo Station in London.
A Few Notes on Our Food Problem (1968) - 5/10 - The problems with feeding the increasing population of the world are discussed and shown. There were some interesting parts, but overall a bit dull.
Fires of Kuwait (1992) - 7.5/10 - When Iraq's forces retreated from Kuwait during Desert Storm, they set over 700 oil wells on fire and damaged a lot of infrastructure. Those fires were doing a lot of environmental damage and were hard to put out.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Murder Elite (Claude Whatham, 1985) 3/10
A woman (Ali MacGraw) returns to England after losing her fortune and moves back in with her older sister (Billie Whitelaw) on their late father's horse breeding farm. Bored with life and sexually involved with a married stable hand she tries to persuade her sister to sell the farm so she can run off with him. When her sister refuses to sell the farm a plan is hatched to kill her with the hope that her death will be attributed to a serial killer who is stabbing women in the woods. Corny by-the-numbers murder plot obviously goes awry leading to a twist ending. MacGraw, who does not disguise her thick American accent, looks bored and cannot act. But Whitelaw is memorable as the brave, no-nonsense woman who suddenly finds her life threatened, manages to save herself only to find further danger from the most unlikely source. Overlong, shoddy film looks like it was made for tv.
Someone Like You... (Tony Goldwyn, 2001) 5/10
At times cute but mostly a slow generic romantic comedy that loses steam at mid-point but then kind of picks up towards the end. It has two things in its favour - a charming cast and Van Morisson's title song which plays during the end credits. A talent scout (Ashley Judd) for a daytime talk show suddenly gets dumped by her new boyfriend (Greg Kinnear) who is also one of the producers on the show. He had left his longtime girlfriend for her and plans were underway for them to move in together when he gets cold feet. Devastated by the turn of events she tries to find the reason for her situation and begins comparing men to animals - cows in particular - and makes up theories which her best friend (Marisa Tomei), a magazine editor, publishes under a pen name who is described as an old woman. Her advice column becomes a huge success and she moves in with another producer of the show who is a serial womanizer but also a buddy (Hugh Jackman). Revolted by his sex life she gradually bonds with him over scotch and leftover food while using his bed-hopping antics in her column. The predictable ending also involves her pen persona coming out on live tv much to the shock of the show's host (Ellen Barkin). It is a moment that just does not ring true. Jackman and Tomei as Judd's two sidekicks steal the show and help prop up Judd through her journey of heartbreak and self discovery. The film uses unusually bleak New York City locations which somehow still seem romantic during scenes set at night or at the crack of dawn as Judd walks about trying to collect her thoughts.
Regina Roma (Jean-Yves Prate, 1983) 2/10
An ageing couple play host to their son (Ray Sharkey) who is returning home after three months. Mama (Ava Gardner) is clingy, whiny and a sly manipulator who still indulges her 36-year old son (Ray Sharkey) as if he is still a child. Papa (Anthony Quinn) is a parking lot attendant, has been a failure all his life and kowtows to his wife's every outlandish whim. The catalyst that takes this claustrophobic drama into Edward Albee ("Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?") territory is the son's mousey fiancé - Regina (Anna Karina). The shock of losing her son to another woman gets Mama into an hysterical tizzy as she berates her son and insults the young woman (Karina is completely silent throughout and then suddenly utters one word in anguish). All the hysteria awakens Papa from decades of slumber and he too lashes back at his wife revealing long hidden family secrets - a marriage brought on by an accidental pregnancy, a dead child, suspected infidelity and a deep resentment towards the son who has come in between the marital bed of his parents' already precarious marriage. Relentless shouting, shoddy production values and a boring screenplay devoid of vicious and biting dialogue make this a chore to sit through unlike the Albee play/film this story is obviously trying to emulate. It is interesting to see both Quinn and Gardner play off each other and while he is calm and understated, she is shrill, annoying and completely over the top. A total misfire.
The Eternal Sea (John H. Auer, 1955) 7/10
Ambitious naval officer, John Hoskins (Sterling Hayden), loses his leg during a sea battle but is detrmined to resist retirement planned for him by the Navy. Learning to cope with his disability he proves to the Admirality that he can not only command a ship but works tirelessly to show that jets can be used safely on aircraft carriers. He is backed by an Admiral (Dean Jagger), who is also a close friend, and is rewarded with a promotion, made an Admiral and given the command of an aircraft carrier during the Korean War. Hayden is memorable as the gutsy officer whose life is complete when on a ship which often brings him into conflict with his lovely wife (Alexis Smith) who has learned to play second fiddle to his career. One of numerous films made by Hollywood during the 1950s that closely observed and celebrated the workings of the American Armed Forces. The film has striking battle scenes and aerial shots of airplanes being manoeuvred to land on huge ships.
Secret Agent of Japan (Irving Pichel) 6/10
Fast paced WWII propaganda "B" film was rushed into production the day after Pearl Harbor and became the first Hollywood film to mention that attack by the Japanese. An American fugitive from justice (Preston Foster) lives incognito in Shanghai and runs a successful nightclub. Into his life arrives a load of trouble - a mysterious woman (Lynn Bari) who may be a spy looking for jade pieces, a cop from America who suspects he is the fugitive, a local Japanese crook who turns violent and a sweet German pianist who may be hiding something. When people around him start dying and a paper is discovered with code numbers that signify an upcoming Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor he realises he has to do something positive for his country even though he has been on the run. Foster and pretty Bari have great chemistry as they banter creating sexual sparks. The striking cinematography takes the film into noir terrtitory.
Cave of Outlaws (William Castle, 1951) 6/10
A gang of thieves robs a train and takes off with two bags of gold. They are pursued by a posse and hide inside giant caves where they are killed off one by one. A young boy (Russ Tamblyn) survives, refuses to divulge where the gold is and is sent to prison for 15 years. When he (played as an adult by Macdonald Carey) comes out of jail he heads for his hometown and is pursued by a lawman (Edgar Buchanan) who thinks the man will go looking for the missing gold. In town he discovers that everyone has been searching for the gold including a rich crook (Victor Jory) who is pursuing a pretty widow (Alexis Smith) whose husband went missing and is presumed dead. The mystery of the missing gold is finally resolved but at a terrible cost which involves relentless greed and death. Interesting western with its spectacular location set inside the Carlsbad Cavern in New Mexico, with its large limestone chamber consisting of huge stalagmites. The underrated Macdonald Carey and pretty Alexis Smith together make a handsome couple.
Una sull'altra / One On Top of the Other (Lucio Fulci, 1969) 9/10
Slick, sexy Italian thriller was Fulci's first giallo made just prior to the genre's mainstream popularity. A prominent doctor (Jean Sorel), involved in an affair with a trendy photographer's assistant (Elsa Martinelli), finds himself suspected of murder. His estranged wife (Marisa Mell) suddenly dies of an asthma attack and his name is revealed to be the beneficiary on her death insurance policy which sets a cop (John Ireland) on his trail. A voice on a telephone directs him to a strip joint where the star performer is a blonde (Marisa Mell in a double role) who has a startling resemblance to his late wife. The cops discover she had forged the dead woman's signature on the insurance policy and under interrogation admits helping the doctor murder his wife. He continues to plead innocence and while the blonde suddenly disappears the doctor is sentenced to die in the gas chamber at San Quentin. The film's convoluted plot has numerous potholes, is often ineffectually directed, but moves at a fast pace, and has several erotic soft porn sex scenes played at feverish pitch against Riz Ortolani's pulsating score. The incredibly good looking Sorel seems to be in a trance throughout and registers no emotion even when his life is completely upturned and he is facing inevitable death. The film relies on the sexy charms of the statuesque Marisa Mell who has uninhibited sex scenes with both Sorel and Martinelli - relaxed censorship during the late 1960s brought on casual nudity and heavy breathing out on screens with a vengeance. Dazzling film is clearly inspired by Hitchcock's "Vertigo" and has been cited as a thematic percusor to Paul Verhoeven's "Basic Instinct" and Uli Edel's " Body of Evidence" which received the rare NC-17 rating. Also a highlight is the location shooting in San Francisco at many prominent spots around the city while the interiors were all shot in Italy. I recall this film's provocative English title from my childhood seeing advertisements of it in the newspaper way back around 1971-72 when it played at the cinema in Pakistan. It has taken me 50 years to finally catch up with this film.
Stranger at My Door (William Witney, 1956) 7/10
An outlaw (Skip Homeier) holes up at a lonely farm out on the range after his horse gets hurt while escaping with his gang after a robbery. His forced hosts are a preacher (Macdonald Carey), his much younger new wife (Patricia Medina) and his son. While the wife wants the crook to leave - she is more than attracted to him and is scared to trust herself with him around - her husband wants him to stay hoping he will change his ways. Sensitive B-Western with one outstanding action set piece involving a breaking-the- unbreakable-horse sequence. A horse (appropriately named Lucifer) goes on a wild rampage and both the preacher and the outlaw try to calm it down. Fascinating sequence is superbly edited and directed with the horse almost taking on the persona of a bucking demon as it viciously throws down both the men and relentlessly goes in.pursuit to kill the woman, the child and their dog. The screenplay tends to go a little overboard with its Christian-based evangelical heavy-handed religious message about believing in God, miracles and redemption. Unusual, offbeat film is well acted and allows the audience to either reject the high moral ground taken by the preacher - his experiment of trying to change the outlaw's way of thinking actually endangers the lives of his wife and child which he selfishly seems unaware of - or accept it with open arms as the screenplay, which spouts fundamentalist religion, plays its points straight to the gallery.
A woman (Ali MacGraw) returns to England after losing her fortune and moves back in with her older sister (Billie Whitelaw) on their late father's horse breeding farm. Bored with life and sexually involved with a married stable hand she tries to persuade her sister to sell the farm so she can run off with him. When her sister refuses to sell the farm a plan is hatched to kill her with the hope that her death will be attributed to a serial killer who is stabbing women in the woods. Corny by-the-numbers murder plot obviously goes awry leading to a twist ending. MacGraw, who does not disguise her thick American accent, looks bored and cannot act. But Whitelaw is memorable as the brave, no-nonsense woman who suddenly finds her life threatened, manages to save herself only to find further danger from the most unlikely source. Overlong, shoddy film looks like it was made for tv.
Someone Like You... (Tony Goldwyn, 2001) 5/10
At times cute but mostly a slow generic romantic comedy that loses steam at mid-point but then kind of picks up towards the end. It has two things in its favour - a charming cast and Van Morisson's title song which plays during the end credits. A talent scout (Ashley Judd) for a daytime talk show suddenly gets dumped by her new boyfriend (Greg Kinnear) who is also one of the producers on the show. He had left his longtime girlfriend for her and plans were underway for them to move in together when he gets cold feet. Devastated by the turn of events she tries to find the reason for her situation and begins comparing men to animals - cows in particular - and makes up theories which her best friend (Marisa Tomei), a magazine editor, publishes under a pen name who is described as an old woman. Her advice column becomes a huge success and she moves in with another producer of the show who is a serial womanizer but also a buddy (Hugh Jackman). Revolted by his sex life she gradually bonds with him over scotch and leftover food while using his bed-hopping antics in her column. The predictable ending also involves her pen persona coming out on live tv much to the shock of the show's host (Ellen Barkin). It is a moment that just does not ring true. Jackman and Tomei as Judd's two sidekicks steal the show and help prop up Judd through her journey of heartbreak and self discovery. The film uses unusually bleak New York City locations which somehow still seem romantic during scenes set at night or at the crack of dawn as Judd walks about trying to collect her thoughts.
Regina Roma (Jean-Yves Prate, 1983) 2/10
An ageing couple play host to their son (Ray Sharkey) who is returning home after three months. Mama (Ava Gardner) is clingy, whiny and a sly manipulator who still indulges her 36-year old son (Ray Sharkey) as if he is still a child. Papa (Anthony Quinn) is a parking lot attendant, has been a failure all his life and kowtows to his wife's every outlandish whim. The catalyst that takes this claustrophobic drama into Edward Albee ("Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?") territory is the son's mousey fiancé - Regina (Anna Karina). The shock of losing her son to another woman gets Mama into an hysterical tizzy as she berates her son and insults the young woman (Karina is completely silent throughout and then suddenly utters one word in anguish). All the hysteria awakens Papa from decades of slumber and he too lashes back at his wife revealing long hidden family secrets - a marriage brought on by an accidental pregnancy, a dead child, suspected infidelity and a deep resentment towards the son who has come in between the marital bed of his parents' already precarious marriage. Relentless shouting, shoddy production values and a boring screenplay devoid of vicious and biting dialogue make this a chore to sit through unlike the Albee play/film this story is obviously trying to emulate. It is interesting to see both Quinn and Gardner play off each other and while he is calm and understated, she is shrill, annoying and completely over the top. A total misfire.
The Eternal Sea (John H. Auer, 1955) 7/10
Ambitious naval officer, John Hoskins (Sterling Hayden), loses his leg during a sea battle but is detrmined to resist retirement planned for him by the Navy. Learning to cope with his disability he proves to the Admirality that he can not only command a ship but works tirelessly to show that jets can be used safely on aircraft carriers. He is backed by an Admiral (Dean Jagger), who is also a close friend, and is rewarded with a promotion, made an Admiral and given the command of an aircraft carrier during the Korean War. Hayden is memorable as the gutsy officer whose life is complete when on a ship which often brings him into conflict with his lovely wife (Alexis Smith) who has learned to play second fiddle to his career. One of numerous films made by Hollywood during the 1950s that closely observed and celebrated the workings of the American Armed Forces. The film has striking battle scenes and aerial shots of airplanes being manoeuvred to land on huge ships.
Secret Agent of Japan (Irving Pichel) 6/10
Fast paced WWII propaganda "B" film was rushed into production the day after Pearl Harbor and became the first Hollywood film to mention that attack by the Japanese. An American fugitive from justice (Preston Foster) lives incognito in Shanghai and runs a successful nightclub. Into his life arrives a load of trouble - a mysterious woman (Lynn Bari) who may be a spy looking for jade pieces, a cop from America who suspects he is the fugitive, a local Japanese crook who turns violent and a sweet German pianist who may be hiding something. When people around him start dying and a paper is discovered with code numbers that signify an upcoming Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor he realises he has to do something positive for his country even though he has been on the run. Foster and pretty Bari have great chemistry as they banter creating sexual sparks. The striking cinematography takes the film into noir terrtitory.
Cave of Outlaws (William Castle, 1951) 6/10
A gang of thieves robs a train and takes off with two bags of gold. They are pursued by a posse and hide inside giant caves where they are killed off one by one. A young boy (Russ Tamblyn) survives, refuses to divulge where the gold is and is sent to prison for 15 years. When he (played as an adult by Macdonald Carey) comes out of jail he heads for his hometown and is pursued by a lawman (Edgar Buchanan) who thinks the man will go looking for the missing gold. In town he discovers that everyone has been searching for the gold including a rich crook (Victor Jory) who is pursuing a pretty widow (Alexis Smith) whose husband went missing and is presumed dead. The mystery of the missing gold is finally resolved but at a terrible cost which involves relentless greed and death. Interesting western with its spectacular location set inside the Carlsbad Cavern in New Mexico, with its large limestone chamber consisting of huge stalagmites. The underrated Macdonald Carey and pretty Alexis Smith together make a handsome couple.
Una sull'altra / One On Top of the Other (Lucio Fulci, 1969) 9/10
Slick, sexy Italian thriller was Fulci's first giallo made just prior to the genre's mainstream popularity. A prominent doctor (Jean Sorel), involved in an affair with a trendy photographer's assistant (Elsa Martinelli), finds himself suspected of murder. His estranged wife (Marisa Mell) suddenly dies of an asthma attack and his name is revealed to be the beneficiary on her death insurance policy which sets a cop (John Ireland) on his trail. A voice on a telephone directs him to a strip joint where the star performer is a blonde (Marisa Mell in a double role) who has a startling resemblance to his late wife. The cops discover she had forged the dead woman's signature on the insurance policy and under interrogation admits helping the doctor murder his wife. He continues to plead innocence and while the blonde suddenly disappears the doctor is sentenced to die in the gas chamber at San Quentin. The film's convoluted plot has numerous potholes, is often ineffectually directed, but moves at a fast pace, and has several erotic soft porn sex scenes played at feverish pitch against Riz Ortolani's pulsating score. The incredibly good looking Sorel seems to be in a trance throughout and registers no emotion even when his life is completely upturned and he is facing inevitable death. The film relies on the sexy charms of the statuesque Marisa Mell who has uninhibited sex scenes with both Sorel and Martinelli - relaxed censorship during the late 1960s brought on casual nudity and heavy breathing out on screens with a vengeance. Dazzling film is clearly inspired by Hitchcock's "Vertigo" and has been cited as a thematic percusor to Paul Verhoeven's "Basic Instinct" and Uli Edel's " Body of Evidence" which received the rare NC-17 rating. Also a highlight is the location shooting in San Francisco at many prominent spots around the city while the interiors were all shot in Italy. I recall this film's provocative English title from my childhood seeing advertisements of it in the newspaper way back around 1971-72 when it played at the cinema in Pakistan. It has taken me 50 years to finally catch up with this film.
Stranger at My Door (William Witney, 1956) 7/10
An outlaw (Skip Homeier) holes up at a lonely farm out on the range after his horse gets hurt while escaping with his gang after a robbery. His forced hosts are a preacher (Macdonald Carey), his much younger new wife (Patricia Medina) and his son. While the wife wants the crook to leave - she is more than attracted to him and is scared to trust herself with him around - her husband wants him to stay hoping he will change his ways. Sensitive B-Western with one outstanding action set piece involving a breaking-the- unbreakable-horse sequence. A horse (appropriately named Lucifer) goes on a wild rampage and both the preacher and the outlaw try to calm it down. Fascinating sequence is superbly edited and directed with the horse almost taking on the persona of a bucking demon as it viciously throws down both the men and relentlessly goes in.pursuit to kill the woman, the child and their dog. The screenplay tends to go a little overboard with its Christian-based evangelical heavy-handed religious message about believing in God, miracles and redemption. Unusual, offbeat film is well acted and allows the audience to either reject the high moral ground taken by the preacher - his experiment of trying to change the outlaw's way of thinking actually endangers the lives of his wife and child which he selfishly seems unaware of - or accept it with open arms as the screenplay, which spouts fundamentalist religion, plays its points straight to the gallery.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Day After Trinity (1981) - 8/10 - This biography of J. Robert Oppenheimer features interviews with his brother Frank (also a scientist) and many of Oppenheimer's colleagues, including some who were former students of his as well. There is a large focus on the development of the atomic bomb, but events prior to this and also after the war are covered. The result is a pretty interesting film.
The Sea Around Us (1953) - 7/10 - This early color documentary was directed by Irwin Allen. The narration can be a bit dull at times, but the visuals are usually pretty decent. There is some casual human violence against nature that might be frowned upon today. I did find the end somewhat interesting in that they talked about climate change and the potential rise of sea levels in a documentary that was made nearly 70 years ago.
Forever Activists: Stories from the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (1990) - 6/10 - In the 1930s, over 3000 people volunteered to fight against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. After this, many of the survivors later served during WWII, but faced harassment both during and after the war due to many of these veterans being communists or having ties to communists.
LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton (2001) - 7.5/10 - LaLee Wallace is a 62 year old woman in the Mississippi Delta who lives in a home with no running water. She had 11 children, 38 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren at the time of the film, though at least two of her children were dead. She cares for a few of her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren at least part of the time since their parents aren't around due to work or other reasons. The family lives in poverty which makes it difficult to get needed school supplies. Meanwhile, the local school district is working hard to raise test scores and get off probation even though almost everyone in their student body has a similar story to LaLee's family. The problems are systemic and it is a cycle that is hard to escape from.
Mandela (1996) - 7/10 - This biography covers Mandela's life from childhood through becoming President of South Africa, including some aspects of the ANC and his wife, Winnie. Mandela is interviewed along with his first two wives and many others who knew him. Archival footage and photographs are also used. It's a decent biography.
The Sea Around Us (1953) - 7/10 - This early color documentary was directed by Irwin Allen. The narration can be a bit dull at times, but the visuals are usually pretty decent. There is some casual human violence against nature that might be frowned upon today. I did find the end somewhat interesting in that they talked about climate change and the potential rise of sea levels in a documentary that was made nearly 70 years ago.
Forever Activists: Stories from the Veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade (1990) - 6/10 - In the 1930s, over 3000 people volunteered to fight against Franco in the Spanish Civil War. After this, many of the survivors later served during WWII, but faced harassment both during and after the war due to many of these veterans being communists or having ties to communists.
LaLee's Kin: The Legacy of Cotton (2001) - 7.5/10 - LaLee Wallace is a 62 year old woman in the Mississippi Delta who lives in a home with no running water. She had 11 children, 38 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren at the time of the film, though at least two of her children were dead. She cares for a few of her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren at least part of the time since their parents aren't around due to work or other reasons. The family lives in poverty which makes it difficult to get needed school supplies. Meanwhile, the local school district is working hard to raise test scores and get off probation even though almost everyone in their student body has a similar story to LaLee's family. The problems are systemic and it is a cycle that is hard to escape from.
Mandela (1996) - 7/10 - This biography covers Mandela's life from childhood through becoming President of South Africa, including some aspects of the ANC and his wife, Winnie. Mandela is interviewed along with his first two wives and many others who knew him. Archival footage and photographs are also used. It's a decent biography.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Long Night's Journey Into Day (2000) - 7.5/10 - After the end of apartheid in South Africa, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission was set up to listen to testimony and issue amnesties for people who committed human rights violations during apartheid. It was a restorative justice process where people who petitioned for amnesty had to answer questions truthfully and openly. Four cases where shown here, including interviews with family members affected by the violence.
Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987) - 7.5/10 - Vincent Chin was a Chinese-American who was with a group of friends at a strip club in Highland Park, Michigan for his bachelor party in 1982. He got into an argument with a man there who later followed them to a nearby McDonalds and beat him in the head with a baseball bat while his stepson held Chin from behind. Chin died and the men ended up receiving three years probation and a $3000 fine. This led to a number of protests and a push to try the men again on civil rights charges. I vaguely remember the incident from when it happened (I was 12 at the time) and the film does a nice job laying out what happened. The murderers seem pretty unrepentent in their interview segments. My mom started teaching in Highland Park in the fall of 1982, but only stayed there a few years, leaving after having her car and purse stolen in separate incidents. She loved the kids, but there was too much crime.
Homage to Chagall: The Colours of Love (1977) - 7/10 - A nearly 90 year old Marc Chagall is interviewed throughout the documentary and there are plenty of examples of Chagall's murals, stained glass, and paintings. I'm not a big Chagall fan, but I liked this film more than the short documentary from the early 1960s.
Who Killed Vincent Chin? (1987) - 7.5/10 - Vincent Chin was a Chinese-American who was with a group of friends at a strip club in Highland Park, Michigan for his bachelor party in 1982. He got into an argument with a man there who later followed them to a nearby McDonalds and beat him in the head with a baseball bat while his stepson held Chin from behind. Chin died and the men ended up receiving three years probation and a $3000 fine. This led to a number of protests and a push to try the men again on civil rights charges. I vaguely remember the incident from when it happened (I was 12 at the time) and the film does a nice job laying out what happened. The murderers seem pretty unrepentent in their interview segments. My mom started teaching in Highland Park in the fall of 1982, but only stayed there a few years, leaving after having her car and purse stolen in separate incidents. She loved the kids, but there was too much crime.
Homage to Chagall: The Colours of Love (1977) - 7/10 - A nearly 90 year old Marc Chagall is interviewed throughout the documentary and there are plenty of examples of Chagall's murals, stained glass, and paintings. I'm not a big Chagall fan, but I liked this film more than the short documentary from the early 1960s.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
Festival (1967) - 7.5/10 - This film has tons of performances from the 1963-1966 Newport Folk Festivals plus a few interviews and various conversations. Joan Baez, Peter, Paul, and Mary, Pete Seeger, the Freedom Singers, and many others are featured.
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989) - 8/10 - The stories of a number of people who died of AIDS in the 1980s are told through archival footage and interviews with the loved ones that they left behind. This is a very good documentary.
Marlene (1984) - 7/10 - Maximilian Schell spent 40 hours interviewing Marlene Dietrich in German and English about her life and career. Dietrich refused to be on camera so many clips and scenes from her movies and from her concerts are shown with the conversations between Dietrich and Schell playing over many parts of this. There is also some contemporary footage with Dietrich off camera plus various people discussing Dietrich. It was interesting.
Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989) - 8/10 - The stories of a number of people who died of AIDS in the 1980s are told through archival footage and interviews with the loved ones that they left behind. This is a very good documentary.
Marlene (1984) - 7/10 - Maximilian Schell spent 40 hours interviewing Marlene Dietrich in German and English about her life and career. Dietrich refused to be on camera so many clips and scenes from her movies and from her concerts are shown with the conversations between Dietrich and Schell playing over many parts of this. There is also some contemporary footage with Dietrich off camera plus various people discussing Dietrich. It was interesting.
Re: Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings
The Finest Hours (1964) - 6/10 - This biography of Winston Churchill used actual footage plus recreations. Actors read Churchill quotations over some scenes while trying to imitate his voice. Orson Welles served as the narrator. It was interesting, but moved it far too slow a pace.
The Restless Conscience: Resistance to Hitler Within Germany 1933-1945 (1992) - 8/10 - This film features archival footage, much of which isn't commonly seen, plus interviews with people who resisted the Nazi regime, but survived, plus friends and relatives of those who were executed. Resisting was dangerous, but some members of the military along with some civilians as well tried to resist in a variety of ways, including attempting to warn Great Britain, the United States, and others about plans for war in the 1930s and a number of failed assassination attempts on Hitler's life. It's a good film and shines a light on aspect of Nazi Germany that doesn't seem to receive much attention. There were a great many who went along or actively participated, but there were a few that resisted.
The Restless Conscience: Resistance to Hitler Within Germany 1933-1945 (1992) - 8/10 - This film features archival footage, much of which isn't commonly seen, plus interviews with people who resisted the Nazi regime, but survived, plus friends and relatives of those who were executed. Resisting was dangerous, but some members of the military along with some civilians as well tried to resist in a variety of ways, including attempting to warn Great Britain, the United States, and others about plans for war in the 1930s and a number of failed assassination attempts on Hitler's life. It's a good film and shines a light on aspect of Nazi Germany that doesn't seem to receive much attention. There were a great many who went along or actively participated, but there were a few that resisted.